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655-705 Level|   Assumption|         
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nightblade354
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 21 Dec 2019, 12:11
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abhishek001
Hello experts,

Even after reading above threads, i have a doubt.
Option E states "Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence"
But that means atleast some social ills pose a direct threat to nations existence. And if there is any threat to nations existence program should be implemented.

Also i am not a great fan of negation technique. Is there any way else to understand this question.
Thnx in advance.

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Negation is the best technique for assumption questions. Not learning it, or not trusting it, will lead to a host of issues on GMAT assumption questions. You got caught because you thought some not = some are. But this doesn't have to be true (per negation). All we know for certain is that there are some that are not, which is absolutely a necessary for this argument to hold.
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 22 Aug 2023, 21:51
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nightblade354 KarishmaB

What are we asked here? Government's assumption or the assumption of the author/opposing entity? Question stem : Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends? It seems like it's asking the assumption of the govt. But again conclusion was given by the author. Can you please clarify how to decide what question stem is asking? I was stuck between C and E because of above mentioned reasons.
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 22 Aug 2023, 22:36
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nightblade354 KarishmaB

What are we asked here? Government's assumption or the assumption of the author/opposing entity? Question stem : Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends? It seems like it's asking the assumption of the govt. But again conclusion was given by the author. Can you please clarify how to decide what question stem is asking? I was stuck between C and E because of above mentioned reasons.
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I understand your confusion and I agree with it. The question stem should instead say "Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?"
But the problem is that the govt is not assuming anything. It has just proposed a plan.
We are not given this as a fact: "Government service is compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
It is given as the author's opinion: "Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
On this opinion, he based his call for action (or inaction): Do not implement the proposal.

So the assumption is made by the author only (that current issues in housing etc. are not a direct threat to the nation’s existence), not by the government.

There is no govt's assumption that the argument conveys. Hence option (C) cannot be correct.

Then the question likely means to ask about the argument's assumption. In any case, you will likely not see any such issues in the actual test.
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 22 Aug 2023, 23:12
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nightblade354 KarishmaB

What are we asked here? Government's assumption or the assumption of the author/opposing entity? Question stem : Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends? It seems like it's asking the assumption of the govt. But again conclusion was given by the author. Can you please clarify how to decide what question stem is asking? I was stuck between C and E because of above mentioned reasons.

I understand your confusion and I agree with it. The question stem should instead say "Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?"
But the problem is that the govt is not assuming anything. It has just proposed a plan.
We are not given this as a fact: "Government service is compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
It is given as the author's opinion: "Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation’s existence."
On this opinion, he based his call for action (or inaction): Do not implement the proposal.

So the assumption is made by the author only (that current issues in housing etc. are not a direct threat to the nation’s existence), not by the government.

There is no govt's assumption that the argument conveys. Hence option (C) cannot be correct.

Then the question likely means to ask about the argument's assumption. In any case, you will likely not see any such issues in the actual test.
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Thanks for the clarification, Mam. I really appreciate it.
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 23 Aug 2023, 06:09
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I have read every response here too I also have a doubt about C vs. E. If it was from the writer's perspective then E is correct, but surely it is from the GOVERNMENT'S perspective - which is different and weird because the government isn't really arguing for anything - it is stating a proposal, with no real argument.

E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence - This is an assumption essential to the WRITER'S argument - the government really doesn't have an argument

I know how GMATClub users feel about blaming the question - but this is poorly worded question.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the DETRACTOR depends?
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 26 Aug 2023, 04:22
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KarishmaB - is government service and government requiring people to perform services the same thing?


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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform services to correct various current social ills, especially those in education and housing. Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation's existence. For that reason, the proposed program should not be implemented.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends?

(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence

Govt plan - require young people to perform social service esp in education and housing
Govt service should be compelled only in response to threat to nation's existence

Conclusion: The proposed program should not be implemented.

There is a gap in the logic. The author is assuming that problems in education and housing are not threat to a nation's existence

(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
He does not assume that required social service CANNOT correct all ills. He says that it SHOULD not be used for all

(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
No. The argument does not assume that only foreign attack constitutes threat to nation's existence.

(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
The assumption is opposite - that they are not a threat.

(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
We need the assumption of the author. He assumes nothing about what young people believe in.

(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence
Yes, he does assume this. He assumes education and housing issues - some of the current ills - do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.

Answer (E)
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 26 Aug 2023, 06:19
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KarishmaB - is government service and government requiring people to perform services the same thing?

In this context, yes. It talks about 'govt requiring people to perform services' and 'govt services should be compelled ...'
Hence, they are talking about the same thing.


KarishmaB
nightblade354
The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform services to correct various current social ills, especially those in education and housing. Government service, however, should be compelled only in response to a direct threat to the nation's existence. For that reason, the proposed program should not be implemented.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the government depends?

(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence

Govt plan - require young people to perform social service esp in education and housing
Govt service should be compelled only in response to threat to nation's existence

Conclusion: The proposed program should not be implemented.

There is a gap in the logic. The author is assuming that problems in education and housing are not threat to a nation's existence

(A) Government-required service by young people cannot correct all social ills
He does not assume that required social service CANNOT correct all ills. He says that it SHOULD not be used for all

(B) The nation's existence is directly threatened only in times of foreign attack
No. The argument does not assume that only foreign attack constitutes threat to nation's existence.

(C) Crises in education and housing constitute a threat to the nation's existence
The assumption is opposite - that they are not a threat.

(D) The nation's young people believe that current social ills pose no direct threat to the nation's existence
We need the assumption of the author. He assumes nothing about what young people believe in.

(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence
Yes, he does assume this. He assumes education and housing issues - some of the current ills - do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.

Answer (E)
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 14 Jan 2024, 07:33
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For the sake of posterity:
(E) Some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation’s existence.

Negation of choice E:
None of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do not pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.

Removing the double negative translates to:
All social ills that currently afflict DO pose a direct threat.

Negation of (E) won't be:
some of the social ills that currently afflict the nation do pose a direct threat to the nation's existence.

Above statement is same as the original statement. When we say Some do not, we give room for Some who do.
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The government has proposed a plan requiring young people to perform 16 Mar 2025, 23:42
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